Differentially internally resilient finishing machine



G. W. BALZ Sept. 10, 1963 DIFFERENTIALLY INTERNALLY RESILIENT FINISHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTI'OR. yawn/1? 14/. 5442 Sept. 10, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 21. 1962 1N VENTOR. gown/1? :44 5442 4; 4 47. 4 0 0 a z m /fl M 4 VA. 1 U @00 0 m APP d I F 003 b VPO a 00 477'0/P/VEY United States Patent DIFFERENTIALLY INTERN ALLY RESILIENT FINISHING MACHINE Gunther W. Balz, Kalamazoo, Mich., assignor to Roto- Finish Company, Kalamazoo, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Feb. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 174,837 19 Claims. (Cl. 51-463) The present invention relates to finishing machines, and is, more particularly concerned with an improved finishing machine of the vibratory type capable of imparting controlled alternating waves of energy to finishing material and unfinished parts in an abrad-ing chamber thereof, and with such abrading chamber itself.

In recent years, vibratory type finishing machineshave gained wide acceptance in the finishing art. Many different types of pants are presently industrially finished in such machines. Most of the devices comprise an abrading compartment or chamber, having asemicylindrical bottom, which is mounted for substantial free movement in space and which is provided with substantially vertical end walls. A vibratory motor associated with the abrading compartment imparts motion to the mass of finishing material and parts therein,v ordinarily moving them in a substantially orbital motion from the front to the back of the cylinder or drum or vice versa. At any rate, it is in the abrading compartment that the actual finishing of the parts occurs, whether the abrading chamber has a rounded or sennicylindrical bottom or is of any other configuration.

One of the problems encountered in such finishing operations, even and perhaps especially when the abrad ing chamber is provided with a semicylindrical bottom,-

is that portions of the mass of finishing material and unfinished parts are attracted toward the end walls of the abrading chamber instead of moving with the main portion of the mass in a substantially orbitalmotion from the front to the back of the chamber or vice versa. This attraction toward the ends of she abrading chamber creates end rolls" or humping and causes the parts to congregate in the end areas where impingement of parts against the chamber ends and against each other tends to damage the parts, as by nicking. This attraction to the ends is believed to be caused by a coupling of energy phenomenon at the interfaces between the ends of the abrading chamber and the mass of finishing material and unfinished parts therein. Since the abrading compartment ends vibrate at the same frequency in the same orbit but in a difieren't plane than the front, rear, and bottom walls of the abrading chamber (the planes are perpendicular), the activity at the end walls is nowhere near as great as at thefront, rear, and bottom walls of the chamber, but it is nevertheless of sufficient magnitude to cause an undesirable work to mass ratio at the chamber ends with its attendant disadvantages.

It would bedesirable, therefore, to provide an abrading chamber and a finishing machine embodying the same, whichwould reduce coupling of energy at the end interfaces, keep the parts more evenly distributed, and thereby reducei mpingement of parts upon the end walls and upon each other in the end areas. Moreover, it would be desirable to provide an abnading chamber in which the entire mass of parts and finishing media would normally move more nearly as a cylinder without end rolls or humping.

Accordingly, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide an improved finishing machine whereby the aforementioned disadvantages inherent in prior art devices are overcome.

Another object is to provide animproved finishing 3,103,086 Patented Sept. 10, 1963 machine having an abrading chamber in which the mass of finishing material and unfinished parts rolls more nearly as a cylinder during the finishing operation,

It is another object to provide an improved finishing machine having an abrading compartment so constructed as to substantially reduce coupling of energy at the ends thereof during a finishing operation therein.

A further object is to provide means for maintaining unfinished parts more evenly distributed in the abrading chamber of a finishing machine of the vibratory type.

Still another object is to provide an abrading chamber for a finishing machine whereby impingement of parts against each other and against the ends thereof during a finishing operation conducted therein is substantially reduced. 5

. Additional objects and advantages will be apparent to one skilled in the art and still other objects and advantages will become. apparent hereinafter.

To the accomplishment of, the 'foregoing' and related ends, the present invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, being indieatve, however, of but several of the ways in which the principles of the invention maybe employed.

In brief, :the present invention comprises. a finishing machine for finishing the surfaces of unfinished parts in an abrading chamber where they are commingled with finishing material. A vibratory motor is associated with the chamber for imparting alternating waves of energy to the mass of unfinished parts and finishing material therein. The end or side walls of the abrading cham her, which are relatively parallel to the major vibrational components, are of reduced durometer hard uses), a term normally applied to elastomer or increased resilience with respect to the front and rear walls, which are relatively normal to'the major vibrational components, and with respect to the bottom wall. With such an arrangement, coupling of energy at the end walls ap pears to be diminished, and in fact energy isreduced or absorbed at the container ends. This has the effect of eliminating the chamber ends and thereby imparting to the mass of finishing material and unfinished parts a more nearly cylindrical roll, in contrast to the considerable humping or end roll phenomena previously experienced. Unfinished parts are thusmore evenly distributed in the abrading chamber and impingement of parts against each other and against the ends 'of the abrad'n'ng chamber is greatly reduced, thereby frequently permitting greater work loads. At the end of a finishing cycle, which is conducted conventionally, finished parts are separated from finishing material and addi tionalunfinishedparts deposited in the abrading chamber. For a better understanding of the present invention, reterence may be had to the accompanying drawings in which all the parts are numbered, thesame numbers are used to refer to corresponding parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isomeric view of a finishing [machine embodying the'present invention;

FIGURE '2 is a vertical section taken on line II'-II of FIGURE ,1 to show the construction of the abrading chamber; y

7 FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken on. line III-III of FIGURE 1 to illustrate. the construction of the sidewalls of the abrading chamber; and" i FIGURE 4 is a vertical section similar to FIGURE 3 showing another embodiment of the invention;

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a finishing machine, generallydesignated at 10.

18, 1 9 and 20 (not shown) are Welded at their end portions to base plate 14 and to channel iron beams 15 and 16. More specifically, lower end portions of frame memhers-17 and, 18 are welded to channel iron beam 15, and lower end portions of frame members 19 and 20 are weld- 12 iscompleted 'by securing a cross member 21 to the upper endsofwertical frame members 18 and 19, and by securing a cross member 22 to the upper ends of vertical frame members Hand 20. Upper ends of vertical drama members 19 and, 20 are tied together by a channel iron beam 23. Thesecuring together of base plate 14,.

channel iron beams 15 and 16, vertical frame members 17, 18, 19 and 20; cross members 21 and 22, and channel-iron beam 23 by welding or other suitable means completes the stationary portion or frame of finishing machine 10.

As illustrated i-nFlGURE 1 of the drawings, container 11 is nested in a cradle, 25. The cradle is supported in frame 12 b'yf-a pair of spindles or shaft ends 26 secured to opposite side walls of cradle 25 which are journaledzinbearin'gs' 27 mounted in bearing support membersZS Suitably secured to top portions of cross members 21 and 22. l 4 I A plurality of coiled helical springs 29 are employed for isolating orbital vibrations of container 11 from frame 12*and cradle 25. Container 11 is supported on coiled helical springs 29 by lateral supporting arms 30 which are suitably secured ,by Welding or the like to the front ,and rear walls of container, 11. Various other types of resilient members maybe employed. In the illustrated arraugemcnt, the containerll is resiliently supported by the plurality of coiled helical springs 29 and thereby supportedfor substantial free movementin space.

Considering-in more detail the rotarymechanism, gen- 'erallydesignated at 13 in FIGURE l,it comp-rises suit: able means {or rotating cradle 25 such as a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder/31, The connections to cylinder 31 ate-not shown since they are conventional. The lower end or cylinder 31 is secured by a pin 32 to a support arm 33 rigidly secured to base 'pl ate 14 'by Welding or the like. Eatendin'g from the upperend of cylinder 31 is a piston rod 34 having its outer end conne'ctedby a pin 35. to

one end of a crank arrn36. The other end of crank arm 36 isrigidly secured to shaft end 26 by means of key 37.

By energizing cylinder 31, cradle 25' may be rotated for dumping the contents out of the abrading chamber of 3 container 11.. A conventional not shown electrical control panel is preferably employed for automatically enerfgizing cy-linder 31; however, the cylinder may be energized manually. When cylinder 31 is energized, piston rod 3 'is forced inwardly for moving crank arm.36

through an are which inturn rotates cradle 25 and the container ll'th'erein to the discharge position The cylinder is energized in reverse for rotating the cradle back I to its originaljor abrading position.

j To prevent container 11 ifidm. droppingout' when thecradle is rotated to the discharge position, 1 suitable -"U',sha ped clamps 38 dcta'chably fastened to opof cradle .posite sides of cradle25 engage brackets 39, rigidly ;se-

i ,cured to sidewalls ofcon-tainer 11. 'A certain amount of free play is provided between the bight portion of each ll-shaped clamp 38 and bracket 39 to avoid confinement of the orbita-l'rnovements of container 11. It is obvious j vthat container 11 may be lifited and removedirom cradle cd to channel iron beam 16. The top portion of frame 25 by merely removing the fastening means securing U- shaped clamps 38 to cradle 25.

A vibration generating means, such as a vibratory motor 42 (see FIGURE 2), is fixedly secured to container 11 by means of a motor mounting bracket 43 and suitable bolts and nuts. The connections to the motors 42 are not shown since they are conventional. The motor may comprise any power means includingan electric as well as a fluid motor. The motor may be of the rotatory type, the vibratory type, the hydraulic or pneumatic type, or a prime mover. If the motor is of the rotatory type, conventional eccentric weights are mounted to the shaft for imparting orbital vibrations to container 11.

Greatest elficiency of the vibrations is achieved by disposing the motor 42 with regard to container 11 so that alternating waves of energy imparted thereto move the mass of finishing material in the abrading chamber in an orbital motion normal to the rotatable axis of the cradle 25 or to a longitudinal axis of the container'll. Satisfactory orbital vibrations may also be imparted to the container 11 as long as the major component of each alterating wave of energy is normal to the longitudinal axis thereofi By imparting orbital vibrations to the container 11, finishing material and unfinished parts commingled therewith move in an orbital pathor motion from the front to 'the rear of the container or vice versa. These orbital vibrations or alternating waves of energy substantially increase the action between the finishing matetia'l and the surface of a part to be finished.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the abrading chamber of container 11 is provided with a rounded or semic'ylindrical bottom 44 for facilitating movement of the finishing matej rial and unfinished parts in a substantially orbital path.

Theabrading chamber also includes a front wall 45 and a rear wall 46,:which walls are extensions of semicylindr ical bottom 44, and end or side walls 47 and 48 (see FIGURE 3) which are secured to front and rear walls by welding or the like. The abrading chamber preferably does, but need not necessarily, comprise a semicylindrical bottom and four upwardly extending walls for facilitating the movement of finishing material and parts therein.

To avoid substantial impingement of parts against each other and against the ends of the abrading chamber in the container 11, to avoid attraction-0f parts to the end are-as, and toavoid the uneven distribution of parts therein, resilient members 49 and 50 are respectively secured to the inner surfaces of end walls 47 and 48 (see FIG- URES 1 and 3). More efficient and uniform abrading action is thereby also eEected since the mass of finishing material and unfinished parts does not hump in the center of the abradingchamber. Resilient members 49 and 50 may be of any type of resilient material, e.g., natural or synthetic rubber, cork, foam rubber, plastic such as'a polyurethane sheet or team, or the like. Elastomeric materials such as natural and synthetic rubbers or other elastomers are especially useful resilient materials. Members 49 and 50 act as absorbers or energy dampersand reduce the coupling of energy atend walls 47 and 48 thus reducing attraction of portions of the parts toward the sides of theabrading chamber. Thus the mass of finishing material and unfinishedpa'rts rolls in a substantially orbital motion asa cylinder from the front; to the back of-the abrading chamber or vice versa depending upon the rotation of the motor, 42. impingement ofparts against each other and against the ends47 and 48 .of the abrading chamberis substantially reduced and more uniform distribution ofpar ts throughout the finishing media. is efiected, thereby also increasing the efficien'cy of the machine.

-In a preferred form of the invention, resilient members 49 and 50 are respectivelysandwiched, between end wall 47 and inner wall Shandabetweeh end wall 48 and inner wall 52. Inner walls 51 and 52 are made'of durable material which may be of the same material as end walls 47 and 48 to avoid frequent replacing of resilient members 49 and 50., When inner walls 51 and 52 are employed in container 11, it is necessary that they be isolated, from the container by resilient members 49 and 50. Preferably a small gap is provided between the outer edges of each inner wall 51 and 52, and front and rear walls 45 and 46, otherwiseencrgy imparted to end walls 47 and 43 may be transferred to inner walls 51 and 52,without being absorbed by the resilient members.

In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGURE 4, a plurality of springs 153 and shock absorhers 154 are disposed or sandwiched between end wall 148 and inner wall 152, and between end wall 147 and inner wall 151 of container. 111. These springs 153 and shock absorbers 154 also act as energy absorbers and damp the energy imparted to the end walls of container 111.

An essential feature according to the present invention is that the end walls or the inner surfaces thereof parallel or substantially parallel to the major components of the vibrations be of reduced durometer or greater resiliulce, i.e., have greater energy damping characteristics, with respect to the front and rear walls or the inner surfaces thereof substantially normal to the major components of the vibrations, so as to be capable of absorbing a relatively greater amount of energy. All inner surfaces may ,be coated or padded with the energy damping or absorbing material or materials, e.g., resilient materials of the aforementioned types, so long as this relation be maintained.

In operation, finishing material and unfinished parts are deposited in the abrading chamber of the finishing machine. The vibratory motor is energized for imparting vibrations to the abrading chamber for rolling the mass of finishing material and unfinished parts therein in a substantially orbital motion as a cylinder from the front to the rear or vice versa. The resilient members disposed at the inner end walls of the abrading chamber substantially reduce coupling of energy between the sides of the chamber and the unfinished parts. Since the inner end walls of the chamber have a greater resilience or reduceddu-rometer than the front, rear, and preferably also bottom walls, the unfinished parts are more evenly distributed in the abrading chamber, impingement thereof against each other and against the end walls is reduced, and humping of the finishing material in the center of the abrading chamber is eliminated. The mass of finishing material and unfinished par-ts is not attracted toward the end areas of the chamber thereby effecting greater efiiciency of the machine and reducing damage to the parts. When the surface of the parts have the desired finish, the parts and finishing material are removed from the chamber by rotation thereof to the discharge position, and the parts are separated from the finishing material. A new cycle may then be commenced by redepositing the finishing material in the chamber and introducing additional unfinished parts thereinto.

Resilience, as used herein, will be understood to mean the capability of a strained body or material to recover'its size and shape after deformation, especially when the strain is caused by compressive stresses. (Websters New Collegiate Dictionary, G. C. Merriam Co., Springfield, Massachusetts, 1961 Copyright Edition; see also Metals Handbook, American Society for Metals, Cleveland, Ohio, 1948 Edition). Thus, when compared to another resilient body or material, a body or material has increased" or greater resilience and also greater energy damping or absorbing characteristics when it has greater capability to recover its original size and shape after deformation.

It is to be understood that the present invention applies equally well to all types of vibratory finishing machines, tag, to single stage self-separating finishing machines comprising an abrading chamber, a storage chamber, and a foraminous member therebetween, and to multi-stage self-separating finishing machines, such as for example disclosed in my copending applications Serial Nos. 102,-

6 018, 142,701, and 142,708, respectively filed April 10, 1961, October 3, 1961, and October 3, 1961.

It is to be understood that the term finishing material" is used generically herein to designate materials used to impart all types of finishes including those finishes acquired with abrading material as well as with polishing material and that polishing" is as usual one species offinishingil, Moreover, it is to be understood that the term layer of resilient material, when applied to describe the material on an end wall of the abrading chamber in the generic claims hereof, is inclusive not only of a layer of elastomeric material, such as natural and synthetic rubber, plastic, and like materials, but also inner walls mounted by springs or shock absorbers, or otherwise backed by sandwiched resilient materials, all as disclosed elsewhere herein.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. It is therefore desired and intended that the several embodiments herein specifically set forth be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and drawings to indicate the scope of the invention, which is to be understood as limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A finishing machine comprising an abrading chamber resiliently supported for substantial free movement in space, said chamber being defined by a bottom, a pair of end walls, and front andrear walls, a layer of resil-v ient material constituting the inner surfaces of the end walls and a layer of resilient material constituting the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls, the end walls having greater resilience than the front and rear walls, and vibratory means for imparting alternating waves of energy to said chamber.

2'. A finishing machine as in claim 1, wherein said layers of resilient material comprise at least one elastomeric material.

3. A finishing machine as in claim 1, wherein the inner surfaces of said end walls have a reduced durometer compariesd with the inner surfaces of said front and rear wa 4. A fiinishing machine as in claim 1, wherein the inner surfaces of the walls of said chamber are lined with an elastomeric'material, the elastomeric material on the end walls of said chamber having a reduced durometer compared with the elastomeric material on the front and rear walls of said chamber.

5. A finishing machine as in claim- I, wherein the vibratory means is a vibratory motor having its rotary axis disposed in a plane generally normal to the end.

Walls of said abrading chamber.

6. A finishing machine as in claim 1, wherein said layer of resilient material at said end walls comprises resilient means sandwiched between the inner and outer surfaces of said end walls.

7. A finishing machine as in claim 6, wherein said sandwich resilient means comprises a plurality of springs.

8. A finishing machine as in claim 6, wherein said sandwiched resilient means comprises a layer of energy absorbing material.

9. A finishing machine comprising an abrading charnber resiliently suported for substantial free movement in space, said chamber being defined by a bottom, a pair of end walls, and front and rear walls, a layer of resilient elastomeric material constituting the inner surfaces of the end Walls and a layer of resilient elastomeric material constituting the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls, the end walls having a greater resilience than the front and rear walls, and vibratory means for imparting alternating waves of energy to said chamber.

10. A finishing machine comprising an abrading chamber resiliently supported for substantial free movement in space, said chamber being defined by a bottom, a pair of end walls, and front and rear walls, a layer of resilient elastomeric material constituting the inner surfaces of the end walls and a layer of resilient elastomeric ma terial constituting the inner surfaces of the trout and rear walls, the end walls facing the interior of the chamber having a greater resilience than the front and rear walls facing the interior of the chamber, and vibratory means for imparting alternating waves of energy to said chamber, said vibratory means being a vibratory motor attached to said chamber and having its rotary axis disposed in a'plane substantially normal to the end walls of said chamber.

1&1. A finishing machine comprising an abrading chamber resiliently supported for substantial free movement in space, said chamber being defined by a bottom, a pair of end walls, andfron-t and rear walls, a layer of resilient material constituting the inner surfaces of the end walls but being absent from the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls, the end walls having greater resilience than the front and rear walls, and vibratory means for imparting alternating waves of energy of said chamber.

12A finishing machine as in claim 11, wherein said layer of resilient material comprises an elastomeric material. 1

13. A finishing machine as in claim 11, wherein the vibratory means is a vibratory motor having its rotary axis disposed in a plane generally normal to the end walls of said abrading chamber.

14. A finishing machine as in claim 11, wherein said layer of resilient material at said end walls comprises resilient means sandwiched between the inner and outer surfaces of said end walls.

15. A finishing machine as in claim 14, wherein said sandwiched resilient means comprises a plurality of s gs.

16. A finishing machine as in claim 14, wherein said sandwiched resilient means comprises a layer of energy absorbing material.

17. -A finishing machine as in claim 11, wherein the resilient material is an elastorneric material.

18. A finishing machine comprising an abrading chamber resiliently supported for substantial free movement in space, said chamber being defined by a bottom,

a pair oi end walls, and front and rear walls, a layer of resilient elastomeric material constituting the inner surfaces of the end walls but being absent from the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls, the end walls facing the interior of the chamber having a greater resilience than the front and rear walls facing the interior of the chamber, and vibratory means for imparting alternating waves of energy to said chamber, said vibratory means being a vibratory motor attached to said chamber and having its rotary axis disposed in a plane substantially normal to the end walls of said chamber.

19. A finishing machine comprising an abrading chamber resiliently supported for substantial free move crnent in space, said chamber being defined by a bottom, a pair of end walls, and front and rear walls, a layer of resilient material constituting the inner surfaces of the end walls and a layer of resilient material constituting the inner suru'faces of the front and rear walls, the end walls having a difierent degree of resilience than the front and rear walls, and vibratory means for imparting alternating waves of energy to said chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 228,803 Benson June 15, 1880 965,813 Greist July 26, 1910 1,048,026 Bates et al. Dec. 24, 1912 2,118,227 Ransohofi May 24, 1938 2,138,550 MacLellan Nov. 29,, 1938 2,143,610 Muller Ian. 10, 1939 2,290,036 Davis July 14, 1942 2,319,391 Davis May 18, 1943 2,332,701 Dowsett Oct. 26, 1943 2,359,944 Schummer Oct. 10, 1944 2,519,060 Manley Aug. 15, 1950 2,739,427 RansOhOfi Mar. 27, 1956 2,831,576 Wehner Apr. 22, 1958 2,843,979 Lupo July 22, 1958 2,918,926 Bchnke Dec. 29, 1959 2,933,861 Bintzler Apr. 26, 1960 2,973,606 Brandt Mar. 7, 1961 2,997,813 1 Brandt Aug. 29, 1961 2,997,814 Brandt Aug. 29, 1961 

1. A FINISHING MACHINE COMPRISING AN ABRADING CHAMBER RESILIENTLY SUPPORTED FOR SUBSTANTIAL FREE MOVEMENT IN SPACE, SAID CHAMBER BEING DEFINED BY A BOTTOM, A PAIR OF END WALLS, AND FRONT AND REAR WALLS, A LAYER OF RESILIENT MATERIAL CONSTITUTING THE INNER SURFACES OF THE END WALLS AND A LAYER OF RESILIENT MATERIAL CONSTITUTING THE INNER SURFACES OF THE FRONT AND REAR WALLS, THE END WALLS HAVING GREATER RESILIENCE THAN THE FRONT AND REAR WALLS, AND VIBRATORY MEANS FOR IMPARTING ALTERNATING WAVES OF ENERGY TO SAID CHAMBER. 